SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — A rise in violent crime among young people has been a trend in the city of Savannah. “We cannot tolerate trigger pullers in our community,” Mayor Van Johnson said at his weekly press conference.
Savannah’s population is majority African American, and according to the U.S. Department of Justice, almost one in 10 murder victims aged 18 to 21 were Black.
The Deep Center is working to change that statistic by showcasing the world of art as an outlet for at-risk youth. “We exist to lift up the youth voice and to ensure that the neighborhoods and city that they live in is a more just and equitable place,” said Coco Guthrie-Papy, director of Public Policy and Communication. Deep Center has a number of programs aimed at showcasing young people’s talents and telling their stories.
Their primary focus is on at-risk youth and youth in low-income neighborhoods ages 8 to 26. “It’s really easy to point a finger and blame a young person for going off track or doing something they shouldn’t have done,” Guthrie-Papy said. “But the reality is that young person is a product of the environment that they’re in, they’re product of the resources they don’t have access to.
They’re the product of stories that have been told about them that aren’t necessarily true. “And so for us, what we want to do in a way that is loving and kind and generous, but also demanding, is to kind of flip that a little bit and give our young people the opportunity .
